Author | Lightnews

Rob Allen

Rob Allen

@robspages.net

120 followers 110 following 200 posts

Knight of the Old Code CTO at The People Stack where we help current and aspiring software leaders achieve their dream lives, with dream careers and dream impact. https://www.thepeoplestack.com. DM for details Head Pig at Thinkybank.com

www.thepeoplestack.com.

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Rob Allen @robspages.net · 7d

It's amazing to me how much of being a person is learned behavior. It's clear that it's learned just from the sheer number of folks who haven't learned it.

Rob Allen @robspages.net · Sep 29

This is a slippery slope. Next, your dog will open handle-style latches.

I recently dog-sat a labradoodle that could open pocket doors.

They don't even need thumbs!

Rob Allen @robspages.net · Sep 29

For a moment, just a moment, I was upset that job applications are asking applicants for their sexual orientation. Wait, why is it their business???

Then I reminded myself that don't ask, don't tell didn't work. So we're going to track it and measure it to ensure there is no adverse impact.

Good

Rob Allen @robspages.net · Sep 16

I'll drink to that

Rob Allen @robspages.net · Sep 10

Dear Amazon. You know my video viewing habits. You know how many books I consume and in which genres. AT NO POINT HAVE I EVER SIGNALED DESIRE TO KNOW SPORTS SCORES OR GAME TIMES. Thank you.

Rob Allen @robspages.net · Sep 6

Happy vibes inbound

a white cat with a bell around its neck says good luck

ALT: a white cat with a bell around its neck says good luck

media.tenor.com

Rob Allen @robspages.net · Sep 5

See @johnresig.com ( johnresig.com) for more on JS. He's forgotten more than I ever knew.

John Resig - JavaScript Programming

Rob Allen @robspages.net · Sep 5

The HTML5 standard added `type=number` in 2019. Just 6 years ago. It's had browser acceptance for less than that.

So for JS's 30-year history, it only had strings that were sometimes numbers and was built to be easy to work with numbers pretending to be strings.

Rob Allen @robspages.net · Sep 5

The why is that it is built for taking HTML `<input type="text">` strings and doing things with them. That's its main job. Sometimes that'll be a number like `<label>How many houses did you buy this month?</label><input name="numHouses" type="text">` Yes, there is a `number` type. Now. There wasn't.

Rob Allen @robspages.net · Sep 5

Second, comparing JS to Python is like comparing a potato to an egg. Why is potato.roast() ok, but egg.roast() isn't?

Rob Allen @robspages.net · Sep 5

2 things: JS uses context to convert strings to integers implicitly. It doesn't always read the room correctly. So "" could be an empty string. It could also be 0. Because JavaScript.

Rob Allen @robspages.net · Sep 5

A hammer does a bad job with screws. A screwdriver does a bad job with nails. They are purpose-built tools for specific needs. Learn the tools for the jobs you need.

Rob Allen @robspages.net · Sep 5

JS has flaws and quirks. So does C++. So does C#, Java, Ruby, Go, Rust, Basic, Visual Basic, Lisp, Haskell, Cobol, Kermit, Fortran, SQL, HTML, CSS, XML, UML...

All tools make decisions on where to be awesome, where to be marginal, and where it's ok to suck. They're meant for different things.

Rob Allen @robspages.net · Sep 5

I miss Kathy Sierra's voice in tech and hate that it's been made so difficult for her. She's correct on sooooooo many things and is a powerful educator.

Rob Allen @robspages.net · Sep 5

It was promoted to the point of incompetence

Rob Allen @robspages.net · Sep 5

Said more simply, it's the wrong tool for the job.

Rob Allen @robspages.net · Sep 5

This is a core value of the language as designed. It fits the original model that JS was built for (which is lightweight user interaction with DOM objects). It was not built for the heavy apps we currently bend it into shape for.

This package is indicative of rounding a peg to fit a square hole.

Reposted by Rob Allen

Anil Dash @anildash.com · Sep 2

Good news about the cutting-edge AI tools from the $3-trillion-dollar company.

Google AI search result for “was 2010 fifteen years ago?” returning: “No, 2010 was 14 years ago, not 15 years ago. The current year is 2025, and to find the number of years ago 2010 was, you subtract 2010 from 2025, which equals 14.
Current Year: 2025
Past Year: 2010
Years Ago: 2025 - 2010 = 14 years”

Reposted by Rob Allen

Chuck Wendig @chuckwendig.bsky.social · Sep 2

Parallels between Trump and AI are endless. Both overpromise, underdeliver. They put people out of jobs. They lie and steal constantly. They think they know way more than they do. Both backed by techbro billionaires. Neither are any fucking good at their job. And everywhere you turn, there they are.

Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · Sep 2

The AI hype bubble driving the stock market is also the Trump bubble.

Facing reality on one—“cost a lot to run, low revenue, isn’t superintelligence” or “tariffs, corruption, and chaos are real”—will make reality hit on the other.

So they’ll try to keep inflating it, and then we’re in for a crash.

Reposted by Rob Allen

ITEP @itep.org · Aug 29

The IRS wants Americans to weigh in on Direct File, the agency's free tax filing program.

We already know Direct File has been widely popular and successful.

The program could save Americans billions annually between filing fees and time costs.
www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs...

IRS asks for public input on free tax filing options to inform congressional report | Internal Revenue Service

IR-2025-85, Aug. 21, 2025 — The IRS invites the public to participate in an anonymous feedback survey on tax preparation and filing options, which will run through Sept. 5, 2025.

Rob Allen @robspages.net · Aug 29

"Power [...] is the ability to ignore the referee and keep scoring"

Yes.

Ana Marie Cox @anamariecox.bsky.social · Aug 29

This story has it all: aquaculture, Black Flag, Bernie Sanders, Star Trek as policy, John Hodgman, male tears, and a candidate citing Luthen’s monologue from Andor.

Meet Graham Platner, the Maine oysterman trying to crack the senate. @grahamformaine.bsky.social

newrepublic.com/article/1996...

The Political Awakening of the Oyster Farmer Gunning for Susan Collins

Graham Platner’s campaign launch has been a sudden sensation. But what he’s building now is rooted in the work of a lifetime.

newrepublic.com

Rob Allen @robspages.net · Aug 26

I hereby nominate Mekka to the Nobel community for his outstanding contributions to peace on the Internet. Biggly

Rob Allen @robspages.net · Aug 2

I want a non-cheap feeling e-reader. That's it. That's the ask. The screens now are fine. Battery life is fine. Connectivity is fine. It feels like crap.

Rob Allen @robspages.net · Aug 2

What is mini golf with horns, Alex?